248911 Using Photovoice to engage immigrant Latino youth in creating healthy communities

Monday, October 31, 2011

Rosa Lozano , Youth Organizer--Community Organizing and Political Action, CASA de Maryland, Hyattsville, MD
Sylvia L. Quinton, Esq , Strategic Community Services, Inc., Lanham, MD
Suzanne M. Randolph, PhD , Center for Training, Technical Assistance and Research Support, The MayaTech Corporation, Silver Spring, MD
Alison Mayas , Center for Communications & Marketing, The MayaTech Corporation, Silver Spring, MD
This presentation addresses the problem of how to effectively engage immigrant Latino youth in creating healthy communities. A Latino community-based organization (CBO) in Maryland provided Photovoice (a qualitative method) and other training to fifteen Latino immigrant youth for use in advocacy efforts to address social determinants of health in their communities. Founded in 1985 by Central American refugees and others, the CBO originally served Latinos arriving to the D.C. area after wars and civil strife in their homelands. Its mission is to work with communities to improve the quality of life and fight for equity and access to resources/opportunities for low-income Latinos. The CBO works with day-laborers, low-income immigrant communities, and organizations to make programs and activities available, and advocate for social and health justice. Using Photovoice, Latino youth are advocating to pass legislation introduced by a Latino State Senator that would allow immigrant students to attend state colleges/universities at in-state tuition rates. Youth are taking pictures to tell the stories of students and families directly affected by the lack of affordable higher education. They were also trained to use their photos in presentations to educators, business leaders, and elected officials to show contributions of immigrant youth and their potential as a trained workforce. In addition, youth use Photovoice in conducting health needs and asset assessments in their communities. The photos are then used in planning programs to address substance abuse and other public health problems among Latino youth. The CBO received capacity-building assistance from two partner organizations (another CBO that has had success with implementing system-level interventions to reduce racial/ethnic health disparities; and an applied public health research firm that facilitates Photovoice projects). CBO staff will discuss lessons learned and report on results of advocacy and planning activities.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Program planning
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
List two ways to engage immigrant Latino youth in advocacy and program planning to address social determinants of health in their communities. Describe two benefits of using Photovoice in advocacy efforts with immigrant Latino youth. Discuss three lessons learned in applying Photovoice to engage immigrant Latino youth in creating healthy communities.

Keywords: Latino Health, Photovoice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Youth Organizer for Community Organizing and Political Action at CASA de Maryland.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.